Mine car



C. W. WATT Oct, 20, 1931.

MINE CAR Filed Dec. 11. 1929 2 Sheets-Shea! 1 C. W. WATT MINE ,CAR

Filed Dec.

11. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HEW We nKR v mm 1 E: 1 w ,hwh QN \WN RN 11:5: QN

Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CHARLES W. WATT, F BARNESVILLE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE WATT CAR AND WHEEL V (30., 0F BARNESVILL'E, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO mines having low head room.

end for permitting 2 industrial cars.

MINE CAR Application filed December 11,

This invention relates to improvements in mine cars, cars used in quarries, and cars of similar character or what might be termed One object of the invention is to provide a car of this character having the maximum cubical capacity, While, at the same time, the car will have a relatively low, orsubstantially minimum, over-all '1 height. This feature is of particular imthecar body,

' a minimum number portance in connection with cars used in Another object is to provide a novel form of car body construction having a gate at one dumping the contents of the car, and wherein the bottom of the car has of obstructions to the movement of the material or contents in the car when the latter is dumped.

A further object is to simplify the construction of the car bottom, this being accomplished primaril by using channel irons for forming a portion of the vertical side walls of the carbody and having the bumpers attached to such-channel members so that all pushing of the car shocks due to pulling or the car by these are transmitted: through channel members.

In providing the maximum capacity in while, at the same time, keeping the over-all height of the body down to a minimum, the axles for the traction wheels are offset near their ends in such fashion that the intermediate portions of the axles are located in a plane below the end portions on e. that it is comparativel which'the traction wheels are journaled. The central portion of the car bottom is mounted on the intermediate portion of the axles so low. It is also preferred that these intermediate portions of the axles be comparatively thin, so as to obtain as much clearance as possible under the car. i

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in certain novel details of construction and combinations and arrangements' of parts, all as will herelnafter be more fully described and the novel features '1 thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

1929. Serial No. 413,318.

In the accompanying drawings,

' Figure 1 is a top plan view of a mine car constructed in accordance with the present improvements Figure 2 is alongitudinal, vertical section taken centrally of the car;

Figure 3 is atransverse vertical section of a portion of the car; and

Figure 4 is a detail view of the mounting of the bumpers.

While the invention is applicable to various industrial cars such as mine cars, quarry cars and the like, for the purposes of illustration in the instant case, there is shown a mine car construction embodying a body whose central bottom portion 10 is comparatively low, the side portions 11 of said bottom being located somewhat above this central portion. In order that the central portion 10 of the car bottom may be lower, so to speak, as shown, the axles for the traction wheels are offset at 13 so that their inter-' mediate portions 14 and their ends 15, located in a plane above that of the portion 10 of the car bottom..

closed by a swinging gate 18, preferably in the form of a bail pivoted at 19 between bail ears 20 and the upper edge portions of the sides 21 of the can To simplify the construction of the car body, the spaces between central portion 10 and side portions 11 of the bottom are closed by the vertically disposed webs 22 of channel irons to whose lower flanges 23 the bottom plates 10 are attached and to whose upper flanges 24 plates constituting the sides, tachedJ These channel members not only thus form a portion of the vertical side walls are comparatively low 11 of the floor are at over the openings note movement of materials of the car body, but they also constitute the sills of the car, the bumpers 25 at the ends of the car being attached to the ends of said sills or channel members by rivets 26, as shown in Figure 4. By having the plates of both sections 10, 11 of the flooring carried by the channel members 22, and by having the bumpers attached to said channel members, the entire body, when fastened together, constitutes a substantially rigid, unitary, self-supporting structure, and all shocks due to pushing or pulling the car transmitted through the car by the main sills or channels 22.

To accommodate the offset end portions 15 of the axles and to permit ready detachment thereof for purposes of rt-pair, the channels 22 have formed therein slots or recesses 27, extending upwardly from the bottom flange 23. Such slots may have a tendency to weakon the sills or channel irons at these points, so that it is preferred to reinforce the same by the use of fillers 28. preferably of cast metal, which substantially surround the openings 27, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.

To accommodate the offset portions 13 of the axles where they project through the plane of plates 10 in the car bottom, said plates are cut away and plates 10/; placed at an angle substantially corresponding to that of said ofi'set portions of the axle. It will also be noticed that these plates 10a are so shaped as to be inclined not only laterally of the car. but also inclined forwardly, or in the direction of the gate end 18 of the car. This is for the purpose of facilitating the discharge or movement of the materials from the car when the latter is dum ed. In this connection. it will also be c? that the housings 29, that are attached to the side bottom plates 11 of the car for e purpose of aCCOmmodating the traction wheels, are also so shaped as to facilitate discharge of the materials from the car when dumped. Preferably, these housings 29 are inclined forwardly and curved or inclined rearwardly of the car, but the inclination of the forwardly inclined portions, or that portion which is inclined toward the gate end 18, is less than the inclination of the reversely inclined or curved portions. Likewise, to reduce to a minimum those obstructions which would normally tend to obstruct movement of materials from the car, the forward portion of central bottom plate 1.0 is inclined as shown at 30. As shown in Figure 2, the inclination of these several parts is as gradual as possible, so as not to interfere with out of a car when the latter is being dumped.

It'will, of course, be understood that certain features of the present invention are not limited to use in end dump cars, but may also be used Withsolid end cars adapted to be emptied by what is known in the art as a rotary dump.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mine car and the like, a body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, channel irons having their webs vertically disposed and closing the spaces between said central and side portions of the bottom, axles supporting said car body, the major portion of each axle being located below said channel irons and the ends of said axles being located above the lower edge of said irons, and wheels on said axles.

2. In a mine car and the like, a car body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, channel irons having their webs vertically disposed and closing the spaces between said central and side portions of the car bottom, axles offset near their ends, the central portions of said axles being located below the end portions thereof and underlying the central portion of the car bottom and the end portions of said axles projecting through the webs of said channel irons, and wheels on said axles.

3. In a mine car and the like, a car body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, channel irons having their webs vertically disposed and closing the spaces between said central and side portions of the car bottom, axles ofl'set near their ends, the central portions of said axles being located below the end portions thereof and underlying the central portion of the car bottom, there being upwardly extending slots from the bottom edges of said channel members with the ends of said axles extending laterally through said slots, and wheels on the ends of said axles.

4. In a mine car and the like, a car body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, a gate at one end of said body, axles having an inclined ofi'set near each end thereof with the ends of the axles located in a plane above the intermediate portions, the intermediate portions of the axles being located beneath the central portion of the car bottom, and the ends of the axles being located beneath the elevated side portions of said car bottom, portions of the central portion of said bottom being inclined toward the gate end of the car and laterally of the car bottom to accommodate the otfset portions of said axles, and wheels on said axles.

5. In a mine car and the like, a car body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, a gate at one end of said body, axles having an inclined ofl'set near each end thereof with the ends of the axles located in a plane above the intermediate portions, the intermediate portions of the axles being located beneath the central portion of the car bottom, and the ends of the axles being located beneath the elevated side portions of said car bottom, Wheels on said axle ends, and housings 1n the side portions of the car bottom over said wheels, said housings having their upper surfaces inclined toward and from the gate end of the car, inclination of said housing surfaces toward said gate end being less than the inclination of said surfaces away from said gate end.

6. In a mine car and the like, a car body having a bottom formed of a central portion and elevated side portions, a gate at one end of said body, axles having an inclined offset near each end thereof with the ends of the axles located in a. plane above the intermediate portions, the intermediate portions of the axles being located beneath the central portion of the car bottom, and the ends of the axles being located beneath the elevated side portions of said car bottom, wheels on said axle ends, and housings in the side portions of the car bottom over said wheels, said housings having their upper surfaces inclined toward and from the gate end of the car, the inclination of said housing surfaces toward said gate end being less than the inclination of said surfaces away from said gate end, and portions of said central portion of said car bottom being inclined laterally of the bottom and toward said gate end of the car to accommodate the offset portions of said axles.

CHARLES W. WATT.

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